Greetings!
The daffodils are coming! The daffodils are coming! Be sure to visit downtown Richmond this week when magnificent daffodils herald the arrival of spring. Daffodil Day on March 28 will offer inspiring horticulture specimens, floral designs and photographs that will take your breath away, while noted plantsman Tony Avent will share knowledge and tales of adventure.
April brings additional spring blossoms just in time for Historic Garden Week. Last minute activities will put finishing touches on tours that showcase Virginia at her finest.
We have worked tirelessly, making
Springtime in Virginia
a celebration of enormous proportions. We can celebrate because we have preserved beautiful landscapes, protected our environment, added beauty to the mundane and shared our vision with never ending enthusiasm.
Please take time from your busy schedule to appreciate the beauty we have created together. Be inspired!
Happy Easter wishes to all,
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Marcia Long
Watercolor
The Williamsburg Garden Club
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Tuesday, March 27
Opening Reception with Tony Avent, John Marshall Ballroom 7:00-9:00 pm
Wednesday, March 28
GCV Daffodil Day, KVH and John Marshall Ballroom
Tuesday, April 3
Common Wealth Award Committee, KVH 1:00
Friday, April 6
Executive Committee, KVH 10:30
Tuesday, April 17
Finance Committee, KVH 10:30
Wednesday, April 18
Development Committee, KVH 10:00
Thursday, April 19
Journal Editorial Board, KVH 10:30
Saturday, April 21- Saturday, April 28
Historic Garden Week in Virginia
Monday, April 30
Flower Show Committee, KVH 10:30
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Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go;
it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow."
- Alice M. Swaim
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Albemarle
Beth Kiernan
Chatham
Vicky Hines
Dolley Madison
Pam Jaske
Janine Williams
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Leesburg
Ingeborg Bock
Mary Lentine
Warren County
Lisa Schwartz
Williamsburg
Melinda Morgan
Winchester-Clarke
Elizabeth Light
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Catch Up with Friends at these GCV Events!
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GCV Daffodil Day
March 27-28 Richmond
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Historic Garden Week
April 21-April 28
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Horticulture Field Day
June 5-6 Lynchburg
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Lilies in Bloom
June 19 Goochland
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Random Tips for April Gardeners
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Then came the lovely spring with a rush of blossoms and music, flooding the earth with flowers, and the air with melodies vernal.
1863 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Tales of a Wayside Inn"
Every month of the year has its own special beauty. As your garden awakens from a winter's rest, hopefully you have been stretching and exercising in preparation for jumping back into the great outdoors.
Look around, inhale, and take in a big eyeful of all that Mother Nature has provided for your pleasure.
- Walking in the woods according to Joan Maloof, is quite healthy. Hugging a tree and walking barefoot in the grass is a vital part of 'earthing,' as is stroking velvety soft moss.
- Carefully review your winter notes and plans, organizing areas in the garden to take precedence. Oops, winter and frost can sneak back in.
- Most roots like warm soil, so if you are considering adding color for Historic Garden Week, start with container plantings.
- Spring clean and dust your indoor houseplants, as they are looking forward to bright indirect sunshine and warmer outside weather.
- Ready your compost pile and consider the myriad of organic Espoma products available to enhance the health of your plants.
- Keep an eye on your feathered friends and remember the hummingbirds are on their way.
- In the meantime if it is not too wet, prepare and condition your soil; define your edges; and mulch.
Have patience!
Submitted by Carolyn McLeod Noland of Mill Mountain Garden Club in Roanoke (zone VI B - VII A), and member of the GCV Horticulture Committee.
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Conservation and Beautification
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The Virginia General Assembly 2018 Session adjourned March 10, leaving the budget unfinished. They will reconvene April 11 to finalize.
Here are the House and Senate proposed budget amounts for a few items of interest to GCV:
- StormWater Local Assistance Fund - The request is $50million. Senate proposes $20Million, House proposes $0
- Wild Oyster Replenishment - The request is $3.5Million. Senate proposes $2Million. House proposes $2,250,000.
- Oyster Ecological Restoration - The request is $0.5Million. Senate proposes $750,000. House proposes $250,000.
- Department of Environmental Education Positions - Senate and House both propose a cut of $250,000.
Click Here
to view our official 2018 Legislative Positions & Issues of Concern with updates noted in red.
Submitted by Wendy Vaughn, member of the Princess Anne Garden Club in Virginia Beach and chairman of the GCV Conservation and Beautification Committee.
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The Princess Anne Garden Club Provides Tower Gardens
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Part of the mission statement of the Princess Anne Garden Club is “to stimulate and support the knowledge and love of gardening among amateurs, and to improve and protect the environment through educational programs and action.” That is just what PAGC has begun to do by contributing $7,200 to purchase six tower gardens for three area public schools.
Tower gardens provide a “hands on” learning approach to gardening. They are a six foot tall by four foot wide tower with slots for twenty-eight plants. Typically herbs, vegetables and flowers are grown in each cell, without soil. The tower sits on a 20 gallon basin of nutrient rich water that supports the plant material. A filtered light package allows for plant growth indoors. The tower is easily transported as it rests on a wheeled caddy that allows for easy access from classroom to classroom. In the warmer weather, the tower garden can operate outside.
Students in Pre-K through 12th grade are able to design and conduct scientific experiments to test claims that aeroponic growing methods can produce more food in ways that use less land and water, compared to soil-based growing methods. Additionally, students learn about sustainability and water conservation.
Many students do not have the opportunity to “dig” in the soil and grow their own food. This new method of gardening presents students with the joy of planting a seed and watching it grow. They become familiar with the life-cycle of a plant and are able to learn about where their food comes from.
A lesson plan binder is part of the tower garden package and provides teachers with activity rich lesson plans, enabling them to implement science, health and nutrition instruction that aligns with the Virginia Standards of Learning in these subjects. Hopefully, science test scores, and nutrition habits will improve, while instilling a love of gardening within our children.
This 21st century technology in gardening is essential in food growth and production. It is a goal of the Princess Anne Garden Club to provide all of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools with tower gardens. We feel that we’re off to a great start!
Submitted by Katie Hand, member of The Princess Anne Garden Club.
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Quick Links to Websites, Publications, Social Media & More
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